Improvement in self-cleaning tobacco-cutters



W. 1. FAUL.

Self-Cleaning Tobacco-Gutters.

Patentedjuly 8,1873.

A-M. PHOTO LmmsRAPmc in N1 (manuals moms) NITED i rrr WILLIAM J. FAUL,'OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,693, dated July 8,1873; application filed January 30, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FAUL, of thecity, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement inRevolving Knives and Means for Cleaning the same, of which the followingis a specification:

This invention is designed principally for knives used in cuttingtobacco but is applicable to various other purposes. It consists, in thecombination with the knives employed for cutting the tobacco, of ascraper of such contour that it will scrape the knife in a directionopposite to its movement, and, therefore, will not dull the edge. Itfurther consists in a cleaner, consisting of an endless apron ofbristles, in combination with the knives, beveled and arranged asdescribed, whereby a broad surface is presented to the action of thecleaner, and the knives are very thoroughly cleaned.

In the accompanyingdrawing, Figure l is an end view of a tobacco-cuttermade according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of thesame 5 and Fig. 3 is'an enlarged sectional view, showing the action ofthe cleaner.

Similar lettersof reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A is the frame, in which the shaft of the cutter is supported. Itconsists of two standards secured to the ends of a base piece. In thefront standard there is what may be termed a feeding-mouth, a, throughwhich the tobacco or other article to be cut is fed. On the outer sideof the standard it projects considerably, so that the knives come incontact with its face as they pass it. B B are the knives, which arebeveled on the inner sides and are arranged on a carrier, (3, whose armsare set askew, so as to be oblique to the front of the frame A. By thismeans the beveled sides of the knives are made to move in a planeparallel with the front of the frame A. D is the scraper, which consistsof a narrow plate of a spiral curve, arranged on the front of the frameA in such position that the end where the curve commences is nearest theshaft of the carrier 0, and the other end is out near one edge of theframe, as shown in Fig.1. It is secured to the frame by screws, andthere is interposed between it and the frame an elastic backing wherebyit is held out against the knives in a yielding manner. E is thecleaner. It consists of an endless apron of brushes arranged on rollerssupported in bearings on the frame in such position that the knives willrub over it as they operate.

This apron may be driven in either direction, but preferably with theknives, and it will be kept wet, so that, in addition to cleaning theknives, it will wet them and facilitate their cutting.

The tobacco or other article to be cut is fed through the feeding-moutha, and the knives, as they revolve, come in contact with it and out itoff close to the mouth. After each cut the knives pass over the scraperD, and are scraped from the edge backward, commencing from the inner endand gradually shifting toward the outer, so that they are scrapedthroughout their entire length, and all particles of tobacco andanything else that may adhere to them after cutting are removed beforethe next out. Not only are the knives thus scraped, but afterward theyare thoroughly rubbed by their passage over the cleaner E, and are alsowetted, as previously mentioned.

This invention is particularly applicable to cutting tobacco, for thereason that knives used for that purpose are liable to be gummed up anddirtied, owing to the gum and other adhesive substances in the tobacco 5but it is also very useful for cutters used for other articles.

I claim-' 1. The combination, with the knives B B, of the scraper D,constructed and secured in place, as described, essentially as and forthe purpose specified.

2. The cleaner E, composed of the endless apron of bristles, incombination with the knives B B, essentially as and for the purposeherein set forth.

Witnesses: -VVM. J. FAUL.

MICHAEL RYAN, FRED. HAYNES.

